bruce



(No Model.)

' 2 sneaks heat 1.- W. BRUCE. 8 FIRE 188 ,81 8; No. 888,178.Patented-Mar.27, 1888.

WITNESSES,

N, PETERS. Fhoio'ulhogra'phun Wishingtm. D. C.

W. BRUCE. MFIREE'SGAPE.

No. 380,179; Patents M27,. l'8 88-I I N. PETERS. mmumn mmr. Washington.u.c.

v UNITED STATES PATENT QEFICE.

WILLIAM BRUCE, OF WELLSVILLE, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,179, dated March27, 1888.

Application filed November 21,1887. Serial No. 255,761. (N model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BRUoE, a citizen of the United States,andaresident of Wells-, v1l1e, in the countyof Allegany and State of NewYork, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes}and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the inventiomwhich will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings,

which form a part of this specification, and in Figure 1 is aperspective view of my new and improved automatic fire-escape, showingthe same adjusted inoperative position from the window of a four-storyhouse. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the iron bar which is securedacross the inside of the window-frame. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview ofthe street frame. Fig.4 is a perspective view of the lower pulley-framewith its end brakes, and

. Fig. 5 shows a slightly different formof the said end brakes. I

The same numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

My invention consists in a new and improved fire-escape, which will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the several parts by their designating numerals, 1indicates an endless rope which forms one of the leading features of mynew and improved fire-escape. This rope passes through four blocks orpulleys, two of which are placed at the window from which the descent isto be made.

2 2 indicate the two upper pulley-blocks, which are preferably connectedby the side braces, 3 3, for convenience in handling them.

These pulley-blocks are provided at their upper ends with the hooks 4,.which fasten or engage with eyes, which may be secured to the outside ofthe window-frame, about halfway up the same; but I prefer, in order toavoid all possibility of the eyes pulling out, to employastrong ironbar, 5, which in use is placed across the inside of the window, restingon two solid hooks, 6 6, which are fastened to the inner side of thewindow facing or frame halfway up the same, just below the bottom of thelower sash, when the said sash is raised, this hooks 11 11, which arehooked in eyes 12 12 in the upper ends of two parallel uprights, 13 13.These uprights areconnected and braced near their upper ends byacross-bar, 14, and

are hinged at their. lower. ends to the forward end of a flat stationarywooden frame, 15, so

as toforma hinged, movable frame. :This

stationary frame 15, which rests flat upon the ground, is formedof afront cross bar or beam four or five feet long, from which extend backthree beams, 16 16 17, one at each end and one in the center, and therear ends of these three parallel beamsare connected and braced by arear cross-beam, 18, the whole forming a strong frame, which restssolidly upon the ground;

The strong uprights 13 13 of the hinged frame are beams four or fivefeet long and hinged at their lower ends by strong hinges 19 19 to thefront end of the stationary frame. On the middle beam, 17, of thisstationary frame is secured vertically a semicircular rack, 20, theteeth of which incline rearwardly,

and to the middle of this beam, beneath the center of the curved rack,is pivoted in a bearing, 21, the lower end of a ratchet-lever, 22,

,the middle portion of which is formed with a longitudinal slot,23,through which the curved rack passes, while the upper end of the leveris formed with a handle, 24, the handle proper of this lever being fouror five feet long, giving great leverage-power. In the slotted portionof the lever is pivoted a dog, 25, which engages with the teeth of thecurved rack and holds the lever and through it the hinged frame, firmlyto the point to which it is drawn back or adjusted. A pivot-bolt, 26,passes through the upper end of the slotted part of the lever, and onthe ends of this bolt are secured the eyed inner ends of two metal'rods,27 27, which branch out to the sides and are hinged at their eyed outerends in eyes 28 28 on the back of the upper ends of the uprights. 13 13,as shown.

Upon the endless rope A are secured two baskets, 29 29, or any othersuitable means for receiving the persons using the escape, these basketsbeing secured to the endless rope equidistant from each other and onopposite sides of the rope, so that when one basket has reached theground in operation the other will have just reached the window.

The endless rope,with the four pulleys and one of the baskets, is keptin the room of the hotel or building on the floor on which the escape isto be used. The device is kept close to the window, a coil or two of therope, with the upper pulleys, 2 2, on top, being laid in,

one compartment of a locker constructed for the purpose, and theremainder of the rope; with the lower pulleys, 8 8, and the frame inwhich they are mounted on top,is kept in another compartment of thelocker; or the rope may be coiled in the foregoing manner in the basket29,with the iron rod 5 on top,and placed in the locker. In case of firethe iron rod is placed in position, the window-pulleys 2 2 are hooked tothe eyes 7 7 of the iron rod, and then the lower pulleys are lowered tothe ground, these lower pulleys being preferably protected by beingincased in a bag containing some soft material, to prevent injury to themetal brakesor drags hereinafter described, in case the said pulleysshould be thrown to the ground instead of being lowered from the windowin the excitement of a fire. When the frame containing the lower pulleysis lowered to the street, it is caught, and the hooks 11 11, at the rearends of the end blocks of the said frame, are hooked into the eyes atthe upper ends of the uprights 13 13 of the hinged frame. The stationaryframe 15 is meanwhile firmly secured to the ground by means of aboutfive spikes,

' 30, driven down over the said stationary frame,

as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, which will hold the frame firmly andstrongly. Then, by drawing back the handle of the ratchet-lever, thehandle of which, being four or five feet long, gives great power to thelever, the endless rope A is tightened to any desired extent. The firstbasket being up at the window on one side of the endless rope, thesecond basket is secured firmly to the other side of the rope at theground.

Upon each of the end blocks, 10 10, is secured a brake or drag, 31,consisting each of the two small centrally-pivoted levers 32 33, theinner end of the outer hand-lever being bifurcated and slottedlongitudinally, whllein this slotted bifurcated end is pivoted the inner perforated end of the other or inner lever, while in the-outer oroperative end of each inner lever, 33, is journaled a small groovedwheel, 34, which runs on the rope in the same plane with the pulley atits end of the lower pulley-frame. By means of these end brakes thespeed of the rope and of the passengers in the baskets can be regulatedexactly. A

spring, 36, is secured at the back of the handle I the escape is allready for use.

of each brake. The operative ends .of the brakes may be formed as shownin Fig. 5 of the drawings, dispensing with the small grooved wheels 34and forming the said ends of the concaved or spoon shape; but I preferto employ the small grooved rollers or wheels, as they run more evenlyon the endless rope, without any jerk or jar whatever.

When the endless rope has been tightened by the ratchetlever, and thesecond basket, which is kept with the ratchet-frames in a room on theground floor of the building, has been attached to its side of theendlas rope, One, two, or more persons step into the basket which isthen at the window, and their weight will cause the basket to, descend,at the same time raising the second basket, so that when'the loadedbasket reaches the ground the empty basket on the other side of theendless rope will have reached the window, the two end drags or brakes31 31 regulating the speed of the descent and preventing the full basketfrom descending too rapidly. The second basket is now filled anddescends, while the empty first basket rises to the window.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of myinvention will be readily understood. It will be seen that the escape issimple and strong in construction, and can be easily handled by anyperson. The construction admits of great strength in the material,sufiicient to lower two or more persons at once in one basket, which canbe made large enough forthe purpose.

The escape is perfectly safe in its operation and easy to get into inthe case of frightened and excited persons. It is very speedy in itsoperation and will empty a building rapidly, one basket reaching thewindow the instant the other reaches the ground.

The escape is automatic, the weight of the loaded basket raisingtheother to the window. One or two firemen can be raised to the win-. (lowfrom the ground for the purpose of controlling excited persons andaiding in the systematic and speedy escape of the occupants from theburning building. It is superior to the railed platform and ladders, asit does not, like them, offer facilities for burglars. It is cheaperthan the single devicesone for each person-as two or three of my new andimproved automatic escapes will be suflicient for one floor of a largebuilding, owing to the ra- IIS pidity with which it can be worked. I canalso regulate the speed of the baskets to any extent by means of theratchet-lever, for by drawing back this ratchet-lever by the hand,

and thus tightening the rope, thepressure on claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a fire-escape, the combination of the window-pulleys having theend hooks, the eyes secured at the window, the lower pulley-- framehaving the grooved end pulleys and the end brakes or drags, and adaptedto be secured to asuitable support, and the endless rope having twobaskets secured to it on opposite sides, substantially as set forth. 7

2. In a fire-escape, the combination of the window-pulleys having theend hooks, the eyes secured at the window, the lower pulleyframe havingthe grooved end pulleys, the hooks at the rear ends of its end blocks,and end brakes or drags, the stationary frame having the curved rack,the movable frame hinged at its lower end upon the stationary frame andhaving the front eyes near its upper ends, the lever, theconnecting-rods, and the endless rope having two baskets secured to iton opposite sides, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination of the I window-pulleys having theend hooks, the

iron bar having the eyes, the lower pulleyframe having the grooved endpulleys, the

' the end brakes or drags having the small grooved wheels journaled intheir inner ends, the stationary frame having the curved rack, themovable frame hinged upon the stationary frame and having the front eyesnear its upper end, the lever, the connecting-rods hinged at their ends,and the endless rope having the two baskets secured to it on oppositesides, substantially as set forth.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination of the window-pulleys, the endlessrope having the two baskets secured upon it on opposite sides, the lowerpulley-frame having the grooved end pulleys and the hooks at the rearends of its end blocks, the stationary frame having the curved rack, thehinged frame having the front eyes, and a ratchet-lever andconnectingrods, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my i own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BRUCE.

Witnesses:

N ELSON L. WILLIAMS, JAMES R. FREELAND.

